


Letters to the shadow

by U_Bahnstation



Category: Joyeux Noël | Merry Christmas (2005)
Genre: Gen, Post-World War I
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:55:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23947282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/U_Bahnstation/pseuds/U_Bahnstation
Summary: Anna helps her husband to come up with a sad story from his past.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Letters to the shadow

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, I made an attempt to make it as short as possible (because of the 300-words-challenge) but I failed.

Audebert opened the door and stood on the threshold. Anna was sitting near his table. Her face was absolutely pale and gaze fixed on the void.

\- We need to talk, - she said, looking at him. 

Camille sighed. Anna was holding a letter in her trembling hands. His last letter. The letter he wished to help him finish one story, to help him say “goodbye” to one shadow of his past...

\- You know, - Anna started, - I’ve never asked you who you write to. No single question about all this unsent letters. About anything... 

She stoped and waited for his reaction. Camille didn’t answer.

\- You changed after the war. But i’ve never asked you why. I’ve accepted everything. - she suppressed a sob, - And now... I’ve just come to get a book, Camille! But this paper! Tell me, what does it mean?!

Anna looked up. Her husband’s eyes were full of tears.

\- If you want, I’ll tell you the whole story, - he said, taking the paper from her hands.

It took long. Maybe two hours or more. Camille told her everything. About the Christmas truce and the Blessed night with enemies, who became friends, about songs in the winter air, about presents and champagne. And about Karl. They promised each other to meet after the war and not to loose each other. Letters, dozens of letters, even if it was difficult to write and to send. Horstmayer died in October 1918. 

But Camille continued to write. More and more letters, which would never get to the recipient. More and more letters in which Camille wrote about his life and asked when Karl would come to Paris, knowing it would never happen. And he would never see him again.

Audebert fell into tears. How long wasn’t he crying? From that damned day he got the news. And now it was above his strength to contain everything that had accumulated over the years. 

\- Sssshhh, dear, calm down, - Anna was petting his hair, - I’m here, I’m with you...

\- I don’t know what to do, Anna! I can’t let him go!

She smiled sadly, - Give me the letter. And let me write just one phrase.

Camille looked at her at a loss but held the paper out. Some seconds later it was back.

“I love you, Karl. I’ve loved you all this time and I’ll love you forever.” - was written by him. And below it was drawn by her hand “He will never forget you but let him move on.”

Anna crouched next to her husband. Audebert wiped the tears away. 

\- These are the rightest words you could find, - he said trying to smile.

\- Now it remains only to seal it in the envelope.

Camille nodded.


End file.
